Language

Style of writing

The language employed in “The Happiest Days of Your Life” by Penelope Lively reflects the social setting of the story, specifically the British upper-middle class. British expressions such as “chap” (p. 55, l. 1), “quid” (p. 55, l. 11), and “mash” (p. 58, l. 27), and references to wealthy areas in England – “Sussex” (p. 54, l. 2) and “Hampstead” (p. 56, ll. 44) – give the story an authentic British atmosphere.

The language includes many adjectives and adverbs which helps describe the setting and the characters’ state of mind. For example, the description of the school building and surroundings suggests a feeling of entrapment, which shows Charles’ anxiety: “The building was red brick, early nineteenth century, spreading out long arms in which windo...